Simple Plan
by tenchu's angel
Summary: Inuyasha is a biotech experiment engineered by the government. Kagome is an aspiring biotechnologist who only ever dreamed of a simple romance and moderate happiness with a decent guy. What happens when fate brings these two very different souls together?
1. Experiment 319

Tenchu's angel here with my first fic ever! Please do me the kindness of reading and reviewing. It will be much appreciated. Even criticism is welcome as long as it is constructive. As for my disclaimer I don't own Inu and the crew (a girl can dream though). The Inuyasha series and all its characters are the sole property of the manga-ka genius Rumiko Takahashi. Now, on with the story!

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_I never realized how creepy it is here at night, _thought Kagome with a slight shudder as she wandered through the empty, darkened halls of the biotech lab she served as an intern at. She was working here to learn the tricks of the trade necessary to become a certified biotechnologist. Unfortunately, she had forgotten her purse and apartment keys in the lab today, and had been forced to sneak back in to retrieve it. She silently cursed her forgetfulness as she walked through the deserted, mournful looking hallways.

A floorboard creaked loudly as she put her weight on it. Kagome, already on edge, gave a shriek that echoed loudly and jumped about a foot.

A light suddenly went on in a room a few doors down from her, yellowish light seeping out from the crack beneath the door. The door swung open and a head peered out.

"Who's there?" called the person from the doorway, voice quavering a little bit. Kagome, recognizing the man, sighed in relief at not being all alone anymore.

"It's Kagome, Dr. Tanaka," she called. She jogged over to stand in the light coming from the room.

"Higurashi, what are you doing here so late?" the old, stern looking doctor asked disapprovingly, miffed at having been frightened like that.

"Sorry, Doctor," Kagome apologized sheepishly. "I forgot my purse during the lab today and it has my apartment keys in it."

Dr. Tanaka shook his scornfully and made that annoying 'tsk-tsk' noise that Kagome hated. He then proceeded to go into one of his infamous lectures about blah, blah, blah. Well, that's what Kagome heard when he spoke, anyway.

Quite used to getting these lectures and quite skilled at tuning them out, she merely nodded and tried to look properly ashamed. Glancing surreptitiously over his shoulder, she attempted to see what he himself was here working on so late. There had been rumors going around among the interns that he was on the verge of finding a cure for cancer…

Kagome's eyes went wide and she was so surprised at what she saw that she forgot to pretend like she was listening. Dr. Tanaka, seeing her expression, paused in his long winded lecture. When he saw what Kagome was looking at he quickly stepped in to block her view.

"Let's go get that purse of yours," he said, continuing to block her view as he hurriedly shut the door.

"Dr. Tanaka, what was-"

"That is none of your business," Dr. Tanaka cut her off, a steel edge to his voice that scared her. "It is best that you forget whatever you think you might have seen."

He led her in silence to the lab where her purse had been left and led her in equally stony silence out of the building. Kagome, for her part, was in a bit of a daze at what she had seen.

"Goodnight, Higurashi," Dr. Tanaka said coldly before slamming the door closed in her face.

Kagome, shaken from her daze by the slamming of the door, walked slowly to her car. Thoughts buzzed around in her head so rapidly that she felt a bit dizzy. She took a deep breath and put a hand to her head, willing her chaotic thoughts into a reasonable order.

The thing she had seen had been human in form at least. It had been unconscious within it's cryogenic chamber. It could be another experiment in the field of cloning. But Kagome was forced to dismiss that idea. After all, what clone of a human had ever had dog ears?

She got little sleep that night. Thoughts of the silver-haired, dog-eared creature in the capsule plagued her the entire night. What was he? What was he being created for?

Why all the secrecy about him?

* * *

The thoughts refused to leave her alone all the next day as well, and she was absent as she went through the motions of her internship at the lab. By lunch time it was too much. She always had been much too curious for her own good.

After giving her friend and fellow intern Sango the lame excuse of having to go feed Buyo to get out of having lunch with her, Kagome retraced her steps to the lab room she had seen the boy in last night.

Luckily the corridor leading to the room was in was empty. Pulling out the access code card she had swiped from Dr. Himura's desk (they were necessary to get in to the more top-level experiment rooms), Kagome slid it through the scanner beside the door and was pleased to hear the slight beeping that told her she'd been allowed entrance.

Pushing the door open just a crack she scanned the room to make sure it was empty. To her relief it was, and, with one last look up and down the corridor to make sure no one was coming, she slipped in. Monitoring machines filled the room with various beeps and clicks, the machines all centered around the cryogenic chamber.

Kagome walked towards it hesitantly, apprehensive despite the fact that she knew the inhabitant of the pod was fast asleep and would not be waking up any time soon. Peering through the glass window, she studied the boy in the chamber.

He looked young, maybe in his early twenties she would guess. Though really, because he had probably been engineered rather than born, he was only a couple of years old at most. His hair waist length was a unique silver in color.

_Much prettier than mine,_ Kagome thought a bit enviously, touching her own mid-back length black tresses.

He was wiry in build. Not overly muscular or extremely skinny, but covered with a thin, corded kind of muscle. His face was very masculine, with heavy, dark brows and a strong, slightly stubborn looking chin. His fingers were tipped with long nails that ended in a sharp point.

_Like animal claws, _thought Kagome, her apprehension about the whole thing growing a notch.

But his most unique feature had to be his ears. Two silver, pointy dog ears on the top of his head. Vaguely Kagome wished she could rub them, but she quickly shook that thought away. Stooping down, she read the label on the front of his chamber.

_Experiment #319 in the U.B.W. Project, _she read, and then, beneath that, _Code Name: Inuyasha._

"So Inuyasha's your name, huh?" she said aloud, without much thought.

The whooshing noise as a cold gust of air escaped from the chamber told Kagome that she'd just made a big mistake. Following this the glass lid slid open and all the monitors shut down simultaneously.

"Experiment #319 activated," came the automated voice of the computer monitor sitting on a nearby table.

"No, no, no!" hissed Kagome, waving her hands frantically. "Deactivate! Deactivate!"

But there was no response and the girl was forced to wait breathlessly to see what would happen.

Nothing occurred for the first few heart pounding seconds. The boy did not stir in the least despite his freedom from the cryogenic chamber.

_Maybe the experiment was a failure, _thought Kagome, a bit disappointed somehow.

But she wasn't disappointed for long. The boy suddenly inhaled deeply as if he couldn't get enough air, then gasped and choked as if he had gotten too much. He slumped forward in his chamber, coughing and spluttering. Kagome half moved forward to pat him on the back, but stopped herself. She didn't know if this thing was dangerous or how it would react to a human.

The coughing and spluttering ceased after a few moments, and the boy looked up at her, blinking blearily.

_Golden eyes, _Kagome thought, finding herself entranced.

His eyes finally came into focus and he gave a weak smile at the sight of her.

"Kikyou," he breathed voice hoarse from lack of use, "You came back for me." And then, stumbling his way out of the chamber, he promptly fell unconscious into Kagome's arms. Completely nude.

_Oh my, _was Kagome's only coherent thought on the matter.

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End! Sort of a cliffie! Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! 


	2. The Not So Great Escape

It's Tenchu's Angel here again. Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed my first chapter. To those of you who read it but didn't review, you can't see it, but I'm making a really mean face at you. **So please, please, pretty please after you finish the story take about 10 more seconds out of your life to review (even simple 1 word reviews like 'good' are accepted with much gratitude). **Thank you for you time and now on with the story.

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Kagome stood frozen for a good two minutes before her brain resumed normal functions. When it did, though, she made the mistake of looking down and accidentally saw much more of the male anatomy than she thought was proper before marriage (Kagome's sort of a goody goody in this story. If you don't like it, sucks for you). She barely stifled a shriek and nearly dropped the unconscious boy, face flaming red.

She lowered the boy carefully to the floor, making certain not to look at him again. She removed her white lab coat and, still without looking at him, placed it over the boy for cover, being very careful to keep from actually touching him, in case she touched something inappropriate.

Finally looking down at him (now that it was safe), Kagome considered the problem at hand. She could always go find the Doctors working on the project and tell them what she had done, but recalling how scary Dr. Tanaka had sounded when he warned her away from this room told her that that probably wasn't a very good idea.

Besides, she needed to know much more. What were they doing to this boy? Human or not, it seemed cruel to keep him locked up in that chamber. And, if what he had said before he passed out was any indication, he was an intelligent creature capable of rational thoughts and feelings (he had expressed happiness at seeing this Kikyou person, whoever she was). The best way to get information, Kagome decided, was to ask the experiment himself.

Stooping down to kneel beside his prone form, Kagome hesitated for a moment. She had the distinct feeling of getting herself in way over her head

_Oh well,_ she thought with a mental shrug, and shook his shoulder to wake him.

What she hadn't anticipated was the clawed hand that shot up to wrap tightly about her throat. Kagome gasped, hands flying up to try and pry his hand off. He was at least twenty times stronger than her, however, and the effort was futile.

The boy's golden eyes slid open and he blinked a few times before he seemed to really see her. He hurriedly released her throat and Kagome gasped in air gratefully. The boy sat up.

"Sorry Kikyou, but you think you would have known better than to hover over me before I'm really awake," said Inuyasha a bit defensively, and then, more apologetic, "Sorry. Let me see."

Kagome glared at him for a few moments, rubbing her sore throat.

"Whoever this Kikyou woman is, I'm not her," she rasped.

Inuyasha gave her an incredulous look and said, "What are you talking about? Of course you're-" He paused, looking more closely at her face and sniffing the air.

"You…You're not Kikyou."

"Did I not just say that?" Kagome snapped, thoroughly annoyed.

And the hand was right back around her throat. Kagome gasped, hands coming back up to claw at the one wrapped securely about her throat. Inuyasha merely tightened his grip.

His expression had gone feral, fangs bared menacingly and ears pinned back tightly against his skull. There was a low rumbling coming from him that Kagome interpreted as a none too friendly growl. She felt acutely the sharp tips of his claws as they dug lightly into her skin, drawing tiny drops of blood that she could feel sliding down her neck..

"Where's Kikyou?" he snarled.

Kagome, lacking the air necessary to speak, forgot her terror for a moment and glared at him, digging her own well-manicured nails more deeply into his skin. Inuyasha realized that if he wanted any answers she would have to be able to speak and loosened his grip enough to allow it.

Kagome inhaled deeply a few times before saying, "I have no clue where Kikyou is because I have no clue _who_ she is. Now if you would be so kind as to release me-"

Inuyasha cut her off by tightening his grip once more.

"Then you must be one of the bastards who stuck me that fucking chamber. What, did you pull me out to do a few more _experiments_? Well, genius, you forgot to fucking drug me this time, so don't expect me to just lay down and take it!" His grip on her throat was almost crushing now.

Kagome tried to deny the accusation, but his grip prevented her from doing anything more than make a few pathetic gasping noises.

_I'm going to die, _she thought, tears streaming down her face as darkness began to seep into the edges of her vision. She could feel herself slipping quickly into unconsciousness.

Abruptly she was released. She slumped forward, choking and coughing and nearly crying in relief. Looking up through watery eyes from her doubled over position, she saw Inuyasha staring at his hands in what looked like disgust.

"I'm not one of them," she said between pants, feeling somehow that she had to tell him.

He looked at her, expression hardening once more.

"I figured. None of them would have been dumb enough to let me out without drugging me first."

Kagome scowled at the slight on her intelligence, but shook off her annoyance and focused on her original purpose. She figured she had better do it before he decided to start strangling her again.

"What is all this? What are you? What are they doing to you? What's the purpose of it?" she asked, questions tumbling from her in a rush.

"Slow down, bitch," Inuyasha said irritably. Kagome could feel her left eye beginning to twitch in annoyance, but clenched her fists and fought it down.

"I…I'm not sure what they're planning to use me for," he admitted. "I just know I'm supposed to be a sort of weapon. Like an 'ultimate soldier', I guess. I don't know who I'm supposed to be working for, either." He paused, running a hand through his hair in agitation.

"This is none of your business. I shouldn't be telling you any of this."

"I think you owe me at least a few answers after nearly strangling me to death," she said indignantly, and saw him wince at the reminder. After a moment's consideration she added, "Besides, I might- _might_ being the key word- be willing to help you."

His amber eyes widened in surprise. "Help me?" he echoed incredulously. "After I nearly killed you? You're stupider than I thought."

"Yeah, yeah. I think we've established that I'm pretty darn stupid. But let's hear some answers anyway." She stopped when she heard Inuyasha start chuckling, bringing a clawed hand up to muffle it. "What!" she demanded.

"It's just..._darn_? No one's used that one since about the 1960's," he said, snickering.

"Well _excuse_ me for not feeling the need to swear to express myself," she huffed, getting up and walking towards the door. She'd taken just about enough abuse from this guy to last her a lifetime, and she wasn't about to stick around for more.

"Hold up, wench. Don't get your panties all in a twist," he said, and his hand shot out to grab Kagome's wrist and pull her back down. And pull her back down he did. Right into his barely covered lap.

Kagome felt her face flame and hurriedly scrambled about a good ten feet away from him, clutching her pounding heart.

_You're 21, for goodness sake! Stop blushing like a 15 year old school girl with a crush, _she chastised herself, willing the redness to fade. Seeing the red tingeing Inuyasha's cheeks made her feel a bit better.

_She's…warm,_ was his involuntary thought on the matter. He quickly dismissed it, telling himself he'd only even thought it because he hadn't had any contact with people for a while.

"Sorry," he muttered, not looking at her.

"S'alright," she muttered in reply. There was awkward silence for a few moments.

Inuyasha broke it by clearing his throat and saying, "Well, do you still want those answers?" Kagome looked up at him and nodded.

"Alright, then. Let's see…What I am now, I don't really know. I'm not sure if there's even a name for it. I used to be human, but…" he paused for a moment, glaring down at the claws adorning his hands, "I guess I must look pretty much like a monster after all the genetic 'enhancements' they've made to me."

"You mean they _made_ you like this? Why? How?" Kagome said, feeling horrified.

"I'm not sure on the details, being that I'm no scientist, but mostly they fucked around with my DNA. Enhanced it so that I'd be faster, stronger, all that crap. They lured people into the experiment by saying they were holding a competition and that the prize was a lot of money. It tested speed, agility, intelligence and strength. The real prize for the 'winners' was to become lab rats in this fucking experiment. I think there were about thirty of us. Some prize."

"That's horrible. They…they can't do that," Kagome said quietly, feeling sick. They had taken people- real people with real lives and real families- and they had made them into guinea pigs for their sick experiments.

"Yeah, well that didn't seem to stop them from doing it anyway," Inuyasha said bitterly. "I don't know what happened to the others, but most of the time I've been kept in that chamber. Every now in then they pull me out, drug me up, and do a few tests to see how I'm progressing. Then they'll make adjustments based on what they find before sticking me back in the chamber. I've heard them say they can't use me out on the field yet because of my 'behavioral issues'."

Kagome was silent for a few moments, considering what he'd said.

"If you stay here, they're just going to keep doing it to you, won't they? They'll just keep doing it until they break you," she said quietly.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha, equally quiet.

"Well, we'll just have to get you out of here then," Kagome announced, suddenly resolved.

Inuyasha snorted in derision. "And how do you plan to do that exactly?" he asked.

Kagome deflated a bit. "I hadn't really thought about it," she admitted sheepishly.

"You're _useless_," Inuyasha groaned.

"Just give me minute to think, will you?" Kagome snapped, mind working furiously. How could she possibly sneak a naked half-dog boy out of a building swarming with biotechnologists? She scanned the room for anything that might be of use. Computer, test tubes, the cryogenic chamber, spare lab coats- ah hah!

Kagome scrambled up and over to the rack on which the spare lab coats hung, Inuyasha's eyes following her movements curiously. She began rifling through the coats, searching for one that was long enough…

"Ah-hah!" she exclaimed, holding one up triumphantly.

"It's a lab coat. Whoop-de-fricking-doo," said Inuyasha, looking at her as if he questioned her mental stability.

Kagome cast him a disparaging look. "Turn around," she commanded.

"Why should I-"

"Just do it!"

"Alright, alright!" Inuyasha grumbled, turning his back to her. He heard the rustling of fabric.

"What the hell are you doing wench?" A pair of baggy jeans- the wench's, he realized with a slight blush- was dropped into his lap.

"What the f-"

"You're lucky I always wear Souta's clothes on days when I know we'll be working with chemicals," she cut him off, more rustling accompanying the sound of her voice. "That way I don't stain my own clothes. I don't think my jeans would fit you."

"You want me to wear these? What, are you planning on walking around in your underwear?"

"No, stupid. Turn around."

Inuyasha did so hesitantly and saw that Kagome had put on the lab coat she had dug out and buttoned it all the way up. It reached down to her calves, so to anyone who didn't know otherwise it looked as if she could be wearing shorts or a skirt underneath.

"Now you put on the jeans and my lab coat and button it up and it'll looked like you're fully clothed," Kagome explained, looking quite pleased with herself.

"That covers part of it, but how do you plan to hide these?" Inuyasha asked, wiggling the dog ears back and forth.

_So cute, _Kagome squealed inwardly, hands twitching with the need to touch the furry appendages. She forced the urge back and thought, chewing her lower lip in concentration.

"Ah!" she said after a moment, and began digging through her the bag that she brought to carry her notebooks and various other items in. After a few minutes of rummaging she produced a hair tie and a brush (typical girly things that most girls carry around. Well I do, anyways. Don't hate me because I'm obsessive about grooming habits!).

Walking back over to Inuyasha she kneeled down beside him and reached towards his head with the brush. Inuyasha leaned away from her.

"What are you doing, wench?" he said, eying the brush distrustfully.

"Just pin your ears back and hold still," Kagome commanded impatiently. Inuyasha hesitated a moment before complying.

Kagome went to work gently brushing back his hair so that it covered his flattened ears.

_It really is nicer than mine, _she thought with a mental pout, feeling how easily it slid through the brush. When she had covered both ears completely she gathered the hair together and pulled it into a pony tail at the base of his neck.

"There. All done," she announced. Inuyasha looked a little disappointed at the loss of contact. "Now I'll turn around and you put on the clothes." Inuyasha nodded and she turned her back to him.

There was an excessive amount of rustling and cursing. Then there was a dull thud and louder cursing.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, it's just been awhile since I had to put on clothes," Inuyasha grumbled in between curses.

"Well don't expect any help from me in that arena," said Kagome, face tinged pink at the very thought of it. Though from what she had seen he did have a nice…she shook her head wildly to halt that train of thought.

"I'm done," Inuyasha announced, and Kagome turned around.

She looked him over and decided it would have to do. All she could do now was hope that they didn't run into Dr. Tanaka or any of the other doctors who might be working on this experiment. Kagome paused for a moment, the enormity of what she was about to do finally dawning on her.

_God help me,_ she thought, and then, taking a deep breath, "Come on, Inuyasha."

She turned and walked toward the door, expecting him to follow. When he didn't she turned a questioning look on him over her shoulder. He was looking at her with what she could only describe as a kind of childishness in his face.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, averting his eyes to the floor. His cheekbones were ridged with a slight pink blush.

"It's… It's just been a long time since anyone has called me anything other than #319, let alone actually using my name."

"Oh," said Kagome, not even realizing she'd done it. She smiled and said, "Well, get used to it. I like the sound of Inuyasha much better than #319."

Inuyasha looked up and offered her a hesitant smile in return. Kagome turned back to the door.

"Oi, wench."

"What?" Kagome huffed, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Since you know my name, I think it's only fair that I know yours."

"Does that mean you'll actually use my name? No more wench or bitch?" Kagome retorted. Inuyasha shrugged and made a noncommittal noise.

"I'm not making any promises."

Kagome sighed in exasperation, but said anyway, "It's Kagome. Higurashi Kagome."

"Alright, let's go then, _wench_." Kagome groaned. Inuyasha smirked. And together they crept out into the hall way.

* * *

It all went much more smoothly than Kagome could have hoped. They ran into very few people on the way out, and while a few of them did give Inuyasha's odd hair and eye color a second glance, no questions were asked. Dr. Tanaka was nowhere to be seen, for which Kagome could only thank all the powers of goodness. They didn't even run into Sango, as Kagome had half feared.

The car ride to her apartment on the edge of town was also uneventful (though Kagome was quite amused to learn that the seemingly macho Inuyasha got car sick very easily. She was considerably less amused when he actually threw up in her car.)

Now both sat at the kitchen table, eating a very healthy meal of ramen. The only noise came from Inuyasha's obnoxious slurping.

"Would you stop that?" Kagome griped. "You're really grossing me out."

In response Inuyasha opened wide to reveal a half-chewed mouthful of ramen.

"Ewww!" Kagome squealed, looking away. "What are you, a bratty two year old?"

"I was twenty three when they put me in the chamber. I don't know how old I am now," Inuyasha supplied around mouthful of noodles.

"Don't talk with your mouthful," Kagome muttered half heartedly, lacking the energy to yell at him any more.

_He was only a couple years older than me. Wonder how old he is now, _Kagome thought absently, staring at the boy as he continued to positively inhale his meal. He looked content, and somehow it made Kagome happy.

The door bell rang, cutting through her thoughts. Inuyasha's ears perked up and he stopped stuffing his face for a moment.

"Who's that?" he asked. Kagome shrugged.

"Don't know. You just stay here. I'll get it." She found her heart was beating much harder than it should have been. Had they found out? Were they here to take Inuyasha back? She took a deep breath and steeled herself, grasping the door knob. They would have to go through her to get at Inuyasha. She pulled open the door.

And was pulled into a crushing hug.

"Hey, baby. Long time no see. I've missed you."

Kagome, for her part, had completely forgotten that she had a boyfriend, whose arms were now wrapped so firmly around her.

"I… I've missed you too, Hojo." She lied feebly, thinking all the while, _Oh, shit.

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_

Wow, that was really long. Hope ya'll liked it. **_Read and review if you want me to continue._**


	3. Understanding

Konnichiwa minna-san! It's Tenchu's Angel here with another chapter. Thanks so much to those of you that have reviewed. Please continue reviewing to let me know whether or not you want me to continue. Once again the Inu-tachi belongs solely to Rumiko Takahashi-sama and the only thing I own is the plot (and an Inuyasha plushie that I kiss every night before bed, but that's not the point). Anyways, on with the story.

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"Oi, Kagome! You alright?" called Inuyasha when Kagome hadn't returned after a few minutes. Kagome swore mentally, cursing her bad luck and Inuyasha. What would she say if Hojo saw him?

"I'm fine," Kagome called in response. Hojo released her (finally) from the hug and looked down at her quizzically.

"Who's that?" he asked, peering over her head and into the apartment.

"No one, no one. Just my cousin visiting from out of town," Kagome said frantically,attempting to block Hojo's view. Too late, though, as Inuyasha came up to stand behind her.

"Who the hell is this punk, Kagome?" he asked, giving Hojo a dirty look and putting a handfirmly on hershoulder. Hojo looked entirely puzzled at her 'cousin's' hostility.

Kagome gave Inuyasha her most hateful glare and said, "This is Hojo, _cousin_ Inuyasha." She put emphasis on the word and prayed he'd just go along with it. He gave her a funny look, but said nothing. Kagome sighed inwardly in relief.

"Nice to meet you," Hojo said with an amicable smile, extending his hand to Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked at the proffered hand and then at Hojo, but didn't offer his own in return.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Hojo let his hand drop and commented, "That's some costume you've got on. The ears and the wig are really realistic looking. The contacts are a nice touch, too. Is it for a play?"

Kagome inwardly praised God for her boyfriend's dense nature and said quickly, "Yes! It's for a play. And if me and my cousin here don't hurry up and get ready we're going to be late for it, and we can't be late. He's the main character." Kagome began ushering him out of her doorway.

"That's too bad. We haven't gone out in weeks and I was hoping we could see a movie or something," said Hojo, looking genuinely depressed. Kagome felt a bit bad.

"I'm sorry. Maybe tomorrow, okay?" she offered. He nodded and leaned down to kiss her goodbye.

A loud snarling had both of them turning to look at Inuyasha. He stood in the door way looking about ready to rip Hojo's arm off and beat him with it.

"Is he growling?" asked Hojo, staring at Inuyasha a bit fearfully.

"He's just, um…practicing for the play. He plays an inu hanyou," Kagome supplied lamely, giving Inuyasha a warning look. He glared back at her and continued to growl.

"Oh, okay," said Hojo a bit incredulously. Kagome nodded and pushed him to the stairs.

"Well, see you tomorrow," she said hurriedly before dashing back into her apartment and slamming the door.

"What the heck was that about!" Kagome snapped as soon as the door was shut, barely refraining from swearing.

"I just didn't want to watch you two slobber all over each other," stated Inuyasha, glaring at her, and then, a bit sullenly,"So he's your boyfriend?"

"Of course he is!" snapped Kagome, still angry at him for being so difficult with Hojo. "What? Do you think I just go around hugging and kissing random guys?"

"For all I know, you do," snapped Inuyasha in return, and Kagome gasped indignantly.

"Why do I even bother with you?" she groaned, flopping face down onto the couch.

_He's too much. I can't handle this. This is what happens when you have an exciting life. You just burn out, _Kagome thought in exhaustion.

"Why?" came the quiet question after a few moments. Kagome raised her head to look at Inuyasha.

"Why what?" she asked.

"Why are you dating him?" Inuyasha asked, sitting down with his back against the couch she was sprawled on. "I mean, I could tell after only a few seconds that he's not all that bright. He's pretty average looking. And you can't tell me that a dense guy like that is very entertaining. So why are you with him? Guilt? Pity?"

Kagome considered for a few moments. "He's a decent guy," she replied.

"Decent? That's it? He's decent?"

"A person shouldn't ask for too much," Kagome said in a strange voice that made Inuyasha look at her. Her expression was very far away. "Asking for too much out of life only ever gets people in trouble. Decent and normal are fine with me."

Inuyasha could tell there was something there behind that reasoning, but it seemed too personal to ask. Maybe when he knew her better, but not now. After a few moments of silence Kagome got up and walked toward her bedroom. She turned around halfway there and looked at Inuyasha.

"We should probably get you some clothes tomorrow. Souta's look a little small on you," she said, trying to bring them back onto normal ground. Inuyasha nodded.

"Goodnight," she said, walking into her bedroom and closing the door behind her.

Inuyasha lay down on the couch, but was up for many more hours thinking about Kagome and what he had gotten himself into. He decided, remembering the feeling of Kagome in his lap, that it might not be so bad.

* * *

Inuyasha was awoken the next morning by the sound of the doorbell. He jumped and fell off of the couch with a thud.

"If it's that asshole Hojo, I'm gonna…" he grumbled, rubbing his sore rear. Kagome came out of her room in a nightgown, looking tired and disheveled.

"Who the heck rings a person's doorbell at 7 a.m.? It's like cruel and unusual punishment," she muttered, shuffling past him to answer the door.

The minute she had opened it a crack she found it flung open the rest of the way by her oh-too-chipper, morning person of a friend Sango. She had to dodge and barely missed being hit by the door.

"Good morning, Kagome," she chirped. "Guess what? Lab's closed today! Apparently something really important was stolen yesterday and it could be closed for weeks! Isn't that great?"

Kagome stared at her groggily for a few moments. "This is why I hate morning people."

Sango laughed and walked past her into the apartment. Kagome remembered belatedly that Inuyasha was there and turned to try to prevent Sango from seeing him. It was too late.

Sango turned and gave her a suggestive look after seeing the disheveled Inuyasha in Souta's pajamas. "Sorry, Kagome. Didn't realize I was interrupting something. And here I thought you were such a goody goody."

Kagome blushed slightly and waved her hands frantically. "No, no! You've got it all wrong! He and I weren't doing anything!" Inuyasha looked slightly offended at her vehement denial, but Sango just laughed.

"I was just teasing, Kagome. Calm down. I know you wouldn't do anything like that. So who is he?"

"_He_ is in the room you know, and is capable of speaking for himself," Inuyasha said irritably. Sango turned to him, looking more closely.

"Are those…dog ears?" she said incredulously. Said ears flicked back and forth. Sango gasped.

"My God! They're real!" She turned to Kagome. "What _is_ he?"

"It's kind of a long story," said Kagome sheepishly.

* * *

An hour later they were sitting at Kagome's kitchen table, Sango looking slightly overwhelmed. Kagome had explained the entire situation to her, with Inuyasha filling in parts here and there. Kagome couldn't have not told her best friend, and she prayed that Sango would take it well.

"You do see why I had to do it, don't you?" asked Kagome anxiously, hoping her friend would understand.

"I do," Sango affirmed, still looking slightly shocked. "I mean, you couldn't have just left him there. But…wow. You got yourself in deep this time, girl."

Kagome sighed. "I know," she said. "Do you know if they have any ideas of who might have stolen him from the lab yet?"

"I don't think so," said Sango. "But they're not really telling us much. I mean, they wouldn't even tell us what had been stolen. You'd better be careful, though. They've got a lot of powerful people out there looking for him."

"I know," said Kagome worriedly, and then, looking at Inuyasha, "We need to find out more about your experiment so that we can defend ourselves better against it." Inuyasha nodded.

"Well, if you need any help you can count on me," offered Sango. Kagome leaned over and hugged her, touched by her friend's loyalty.

Pulling away, she said, "Actually, I think there's something you can help us with now. You're always really good at picking out Miroku's outfits. Do you think you could pick some out for Inuyasha? I'm horrible at picking men's clothing."

Sango smiled. "Shopping trip!"

* * *

The trip to the mall was one long, tiring blur for Inuyasha. He was forced to wear a hat and sunglasses and, worst of all, shoes. He was then dragged all over the mall by two overly enthusiastic girls and forced to try on what felt like thousands of outfits. The girls would force him to turn this and that way to model the clothes as they oohed and aahed. Eventually they got out of the overly crowded, smelly place with a few outfits. They dropped Sango off at her own home and returned to Kagome's apartment.

Inuyasha flopped down on the couch, exhausted. "I will never understand why girls like that so much."

Kagome sat with her back against the couch. "I don't quite understand it either. It's just…fun somehow." They were silent for a few moments.

"Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for the clothes," said Inuyasha quietly. "And…for everything. You didn't have to do any of it for me, but you did. You…You're a good person."

Kagome smiled. "No problem," she said, reaching over her shoulder to grab one of his hands. "We've all gotta stick up for each other, right?"

Inuyasha nodded absently, staring at their intertwined hands. Her hand wasvery small in comparison to his own.

_I'm going to protect you, _Inuyasha vowed silently. _No matter what.

* * *

_

Please review!


	4. Getting to Know You

Konnichiwa minna-san! Tenchu's Angel here with another update. Many thanks and much love to all those who reviewed and encouraged me to keep writing. I've been continuously surprised by and very grateful for all the positive feedback I've been getting. Please keep it coming and I'll keep on doing my best. Thanks again, and on with the story.

* * *

Kagome crawled up slowly from the depths of sleep, stirred to wakefulness by the bright light hitting the back of her eyelids. She groaned, shifting and stretching to relieve the stiffness in her muscles and wondering why she was so stiff. Gradually her eyes slid open and she blinked a few times to clear the lingering traces of sleep from them. She was disoriented for the few moments it took her sleep fogged mind to realize that she was leaned up against the side of the couch in the living room. 

_The shopping trip must have taken more out of me than I thought for me to fall asleep here with Inuyasha, _Kagome thought.

Turning she looked at the boy in question. He was sound asleep on the couch, still clutching the hand she had given him to hold closely to his chest. She winced slightly, realizing that the reason she hadn't felt that was because her whole arm had fallen asleep. She couldn't help but smile though at the serene expression on his face. It was so different from the one he had worn when he was asleep in the cryogenic chamber. Just seeing it Kagome felt that any trouble that might come was worth it.

As adorable as he looked at the moment though, Kagome had to go to the bathroom. Gently she tried to pull her hand away from him, the task made all the more difficult because of the lack of feeling in her arm. He frowned a bit in his sleep and clutched her hand more tightly. Kagome frowned and, standing to lean over him, shook his shoulder gently.

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha. Wake up," she called softly.

He muttered something unintelligible in his sleep and gave a sudden, forceful tug on her hand. Kagome, caught off balance, came toppling down on top of him with a small shriek. She landed sprawled out against his chest with her legs tangled in his.

Kagome blushed a brilliant shade of red at the semi-intimate position, peeking up to see if he was awake. Inuyasha was still sound asleep and clutching her hand, looking more content now than before. Kagome scowled, but didn't have the heart to wake him up. Instead she found herself relaxing into his comforting warmth. She was soon asleep again.

* * *

It was warm, which was a strange thing for a boy that had been trapped in the coldness of a cryogenic chamber for quite some time. Inuyasha shifted a bit and realized that the warmth was coming from something on his chest. He held it to himself more tightly and was surprised to hear it sigh. 

Peeking down Inuyasha nearly jumped when he saw that the warm thing was Kagome, resting peacefully with her head buried in his chest. He tried to recall how they had gotten into this position. They must have fallen asleep after the shopping trip, but how had Kagome gotten on top of him? It couldn't be the first thing that came to his mind though, seeing as they both still had clothes on (tee hee, Inu's a bit of a horny dog in this story.)

He shrugged mentally, too comfortable to care. Kagome was warm and soft and pressed up against him, and that was all that really mattered. Except that two large, soft parts of her anatomy were pressing very closely against his chest, and he was getting just a little too excited…

He sat up abruptly, wanting to get out from under her before she woke up and noticed his predicament (for those of you that caught the slight pun there, it was totally intended). Kagome clutched him around the waist, burying her face in his stomach, and he groaned slightly before shaking one of her shoulders.

"Oi, wench, get up," he called gruffly.

Kagome's eyes slid open and she blinked groggily up at him for a moment before she seemed to realize their position. Her face flamed red and she hurriedly scrambled off of him. They stared awkwardly at one another for a moment, both faces flushed slightly.

"I'll go make breakfast. You can have the shower first," Kagome said at length, breaking the awkward tension. Inuyasha nodded.

"Can we have ramen?"

* * *

An hour later both had showered and dressed and were sitting down at the breakfast table for a meal of ramen. Well, Inuyasha was eating ramen. Kagome was having toast and jam like a normal person. The couch incident was not discussed any further and, if both had their way, would never be discussed again. 

"Hey, Inuyasha," said Kagome, putting down her toast and looking at him.

Inuyasha paused in his slurping from the industrial sized bowl of ramen, noodles hanging half way out of his mouth. "Wha?" he said, word muffled by the food in his mouth.

Kagome grimaced a bit in disgust, but said, "Well, since the lab probably won't be open again today, why don't we go to the park? We can get ice cream and feed the ducks and see the cherry blossom trees. We'll make a day of it, since you probably haven't had any fun for a while." Kagome was beaming like an excited kid with an unexpected day off from school by the end of her little speech.

"Sounds pretty girly to me," said Inuyasha, as tactless as ever. Kagome frowned and huffed angrily.

"Well fine! If you don't want to go-"

"Did I say I didn't want to go, wench?" Inuyasha said, cutting her off. "As long as I'm with a girl while doing girly stuff and I get ice cream, I guess it's okay." Kagome smiled.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

"Keh."

"Well then, let's get going."

* * *

The two took Kagome's car down to Morioka Park a few miles away and thankfully Inuyasha managed not to get carsick, though Kagome thought it was a bit of a wonder considering all the ramen he had inhaled. Another wonder was that he was still hungry enough to eat a triple scoop of ice cream when they reached the park and bought it from one of the vendors. 

"They must've genetically enhanced your stomach," commented Kagome, watching him devour his ice cream as they walked down the lane lined with sakura trees in full bloom. Being that it was a work day for most the path was pretty much empty, and the pink blossoms floating here and there on the breeze lent to the overall tranquility that Kagome felt.

"No, I ate like this before I was experimented on," said Inuyasha in between the last few mouthfuls of his ice cream.

"You must've eaten your poor mother out of house and when you were a kid," Kagome said with a chuckle, taking a small lick of her own ice cream. Glancing over at him, she saw that Inuyasha had tensed up a bit and was looking almost pained.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" she asked in concern, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off. "Nothing. It's nothing," he said roughly, speeding up his pace to walk ahead of her.

Kagome frowned at his back, knowing that he was keeping something from her. She jogged to catch up with him.

"Inuyasha, don't give me that bull. You wouldn't be acting this way if there wasn't something wrong."

"You don't know me, bitch, so quit pretending like you do," Inuyasha snapped.

"Exactly, Inuyasha! I _don't_ know you, and I never will if you never tell me anything!" Kagome retorted.

By this time they had reached the pond, and Inuyasha went and flopped angrily down on to one of the benches surrounding it. He looked determinedly away from her with a fierce scowl. Kagome sat down beside him with a sigh.

"Don't you think we should get to know each other a bit? I mean, it looks like we might be stuck together for awhile." Inuyasha remained silent.

"Fine then, I'll start," said Kagome. "Let's see, something about my life… well, my best friend is Sango, you've already met her. I moved here from Hokkaido about 3 years ago to study to be a biotechnologist, though _I _plan to use it for good. Back home I lived in a Shinto shrine with my grandpa and my brother, Souta. He's about 19 right now. So, what about you?"

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, but the anger seemed to have gone out of him. "What about your parents?" he asked, turning to face her.

Kagome flinched slightly at the question, but decided that if she wanted him to share everything she would have to do the same. Taking a deep breath, she began, "My parents died in a plane crash when I was eight and Souta was six. Officially, they were never married because my father was a big film star and his managers said it would detract from his appeal to women. I know, sick, isn't it? But as far as I knew the only woman he was seeing was my mother and me and Souta were his only kids. My mom was too crazy about him to ever complain. But he was off shooting movies a lot so he could only come see us every once in awhile, and when he did he would come in his own private plane, like he was trying to impress us to make up for never being around. The last time he came he took my mother out in the plane, just the two of them, but the engines failed and they crashed. Both of them died and, as if that wasn't enough, the media found out about their relationship. They were all over me and Souta and grandpa for years afterward. That's what happens when you live too big and ask for too much. That's why I'm just fine with normal."

"I guess I'm kinda screwing up your plans then, aren't I?" said Inuyasha, looking slightly ashamed.

"No, no! I never thought of you like that, honest! It's fine since it for a good cause," said Kagome reassuringly. Inuyasha smiled slightly.

"Calm down, wench. No need to get so worked up over everything. I guess you want my sob story now, too?" Kagome nodded eagerly.

"Fine. My mom and dad died in a fire when I was five. None of our relatives would take me in because they hadn't approved of my parents' marriage. My older half brother wouldn't take me in because he didn't like me. You see, my dad was the heir to a pretty big estate, and my mom was pretty poor. His family didn't approve of him marrying down, and her family had all passed away. I was sent to an orphanage, and a pretty crappy one at that. They were real big on the old methods, meaning basically that if you didn't behave they'd either beat the shit out of you or starve you to death. I got out of there when I was eighteen, but it was almost impossible to get a decent job, seeing as I hadn't had much formal education. So when I heard about the prize money the competition was offering I jumped at the chance. I think you pretty much know the rest."

A wry smile twisted Kagome's lips. "Kinda figures that two people as messed up as us would find each other, huh?" she said. Inuyasha chuckled.

"Yeah, it sorta makes sense in a twisted way."

"Thank you though, for sharing that with me. I know how hard it is to dig up those kinds of memories," she said quietly. "And even more than that, I just like being able to know things about you."

Inuyasha looked at her as she stared out at the pond, her words causing a warmth in his chest that was awkward in its newness, though not unpleasant. It struck him consciously for the first time how beautiful Kagome was, with her long, dark hair and big gray eyes and delicate features. He lamented for a moment that he was not the kind of person who was good with words, and thus couldn't think of anything to express all the things he was feeling. Not that he could exactly define all the feelings, anyway. But his moment of regret passed and he expressed himself the only way he really knew how. He reached over and pulled Kagome close to his side, tucking her head beneath his chin and inhaling the scent of her hair. It was something as indefinable and unique as she was, and he could positively feel her blush radiating off her at his actions.

"Kagome, I…I …It's just…Damn it…" he tried with words but found himself failing miserably. Kagome relaxed a bit against him, smiling into his chest.

"It's okay, Inuyasha. I understand."

* * *

An hour and a half later the two returned to Kagome's apartment after having fed the ducks and walked around the park a bit more. 

Inuyasha paused on their walk up the stairs to her room, scenting the air carefully. There was something familiar about what he was smelling, though for the life of him he couldn't recall where he had smelled it before. All he knew was that it certainly did not bring good feelings with it…

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked from three stairs above him, noticing that he had stopped walking.

Inuyasha shook his head and walked ahead of her, making motions for her to be silent and stay close. Kagome complied and when they reached her floor was alarmed to see that her door was off its hinges and lying on the ground three feet away.

Inuyasha scowled as the scent got stronger, emanating from within the apartment. Whoever had ripped the door off its hinges was still there. He crept in to the darkened apartment slowly, eyes seeing everything clearly despite the lack of light. Kagome trailed apprehensively behind him.

Scanning the room, Inuyasha saw that almost everything had been torn up. The couch had been shredded, the table was nothing but shards of wood, the television screen had been shattered, the cabinets were wide open with all their contents littering the floor, and all the walls had what looked like claw marks running over them. He was glad Kagome couldn't see any of it.

There was the slight creak of someone putting weight on a loose floorboard to his right and behind him. Inuyasha spun around just in time to see a shadow dart out of the wreckage of the kitchen and pin Kagome to the wall with a hand around her throat.

"One move and I crush your wench's throat, inu-korro," snarled the person, and Inuyasha realized who it was with a sickening lurch of his stomach.

His code name was Kouga, but the scientists mostly referred to him as experiment #274. He had been another one of the "winners" of the tournament. Inuyasha had once been brought out of his sleep undrugged to battle him in a test of their progress, though he had been forced to wear a shock collar in case he got out of hand. Seeing what a lapdog Kouga was to the people who had made him a freak and stolen his life had made Inuyasha sick.

"Kouga," he snarled, moving forward with claws extended. Kouga tightened his grip on Kagome's throat and she gasped in pain, halting Inuyasha in his tracks.

"Now, now, dog breath. You just come back to the lab like a good little puppy and no harm will come to your precious bitch," said Kouga, lifeless blue eyes staring mockingly into his own golden ones.

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it, you mangy wolf. As soon as they have me back they'll kill her without a second thought. So why don't you quit hiding behind her and fight me?" Inuyasha barked.

"No, I really don't think I wi- Ahhh! Fucking bitch!" Kagome, taking advantage of his distraction, had given him a nice hard kick in the unmentionables. His claws tightened reflexively, digging into her throat, before he flung her harshly away in favor of clutching his abused parts and whimpering. Kagome slammed into a wall with s sickening crack and slumped to the ground where she moved no more.

Inuyasha rushed to her side, but was blocked halfway by a miraculously recovered Kouga. Inuyasha cursed the genetic enhancements that made them nearly impervious to pain. Kouga swung at him, fist moving in what was only a blur to Inuyasha's eyes to connect squarely with his jaw. He felt it dislocate, but not the accompanying pain that it would have caused a human.

He fell fluidly into a crouch and his leg shot out and up to catch Kouga in the stomach. Kouga stumbled back a few steps with a grunt and Inuyasha stood, pushing his offensive. He lashed out with his claws, dragging them across Kouga's eyes and feeling an animalistic glee as the blood gushed forth. Then, giving his opponent no chance to recover, Inuyasha buried his taloned hand into Kouga's stomach and twisted.

Kouga gurgled, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth, and staggered as Inuyasha removed the hand. Inuyasha, seeing this fight was over, took a few deep breaths to cool his raging blood and went to Kagome, relocating his jaw in one swift motion on the way over.

He was relieved to find that she was merely unconscious, though the back of her head was bleeding from the way it had been slammed so brutally against the wall. He turned to snarl at Kouga, considering finishing him off, but the boy had already exited, a trail of blood in his wake. He would be back. That wound was barely a scratch to creatures like them, and as long as he was alive he would be back.

Inuyasha shook his head and focused on tending to Kagome for the moment. Fetching a washcloth he wet it with water from the sink and cleaned off the blood on the back of her head and from her neck where Kouga's claws had pierced her skin. He then sniffed out the antiseptic and applied it to the wounds. He bandaged the ones on her throat, but could do nothing for the one on the back of her head. When he had finished he sat down by her side and clutched her hand, allowing the guilt to creep in.

_If it weren't for me none of this shit would have happened. Kagome would be fine and her apartment would be fine and there wouldn't be a bunch superhuman freaks out to kill her. Kagome's too good for this shit…too good for me. _The last realization was a surprisingly painful one, and Inuyasha cursed himself for becoming so attached to this girl in such a short time. It was unfair of him to allow her to get caught up in all this just because he liked her.

"Inuyasha? Kagome?" came a feminine voice from the doorway, shaking the boy from his mournful thoughts. Sango stood there, peering fearfully into the darkness.

Inuyasha picked Kagome up and went to Sango. The girl gasped in horror at the sight of her friend's prone form.

"Don't ask. Me'n' Kagome are gonna need to crash at your place for a bit."

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the sill of an open window in Sango's house an hour later, a brooding expression on his face as he gazed out into the darkness. After packing some things for both himself and Kagome, they had gotten into Sango's car (laying Kagome's unconscious form down on the back seat) and driven to her home a few miles away. Sango was currently in the guest bedroom tending more thoroughly to Kagome's wounds, which left Inuyasha with his overwhelming guilt. 

Sango stepped back into the room and he turned to her. She offered him a small smile that he didn't return.

"She's going to be fine. It's really just a bump on the head and a few scratches," she said comfortingly. Inuyasha looked back out the window, knowing it was worse than that and feeling that Kagome shouldn't have had to suffer even that much for his sake.

"Do you know when she'll wake up?" he asked, face still averted.

Sango shook her head, and then, realizing he couldn't see the gesture, said, "No, but it probably won't be for a little while. Why?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, but sighed slightly. He had been hoping to speak with her and explain the reasoning behind what he was about to do, but he knew that if he didn't do it soon he wouldn't be able to make himself do it at all.

Taking a deep breath, he turned and pinned Sango with a serious look. "Can I ask you a favor?"

Sango nodded, looking at him curiously. "Sure."

"Tell Kagome when she wakes up thanks for everything she's done for me, but that I can't risk her life for mine. Tell her I say goodbye, and I'm sorry." And with one final glance at the door Kagome lay behind, he leapt off the window sill and bounded out into the darkness.

* * *

Yay, that took forever to write! Please review! 


	5. What I Want

Konnichiwa minna-san! It's Tenchu's Angel here with another chapter! Sorry it took so long, but things have been pretty hectic for me lately. Thanks to those of you who reviewed and sorry I left it at such an evil cliffy. I just couldn't resist. Now on with the story! Please read and review!

* * *

Kagome came to consciousness slowly, feeling groggy and disoriented. That she was in a bed in a room that was not her own only served to further confuse her. She lay there blinking sleepily up at the ceiling for a few moments, recalling piece by piece what had happened. She jerked upright abruptly, worried about what might have happened to Inuyasha after Kouga had flung her against the wall.

She opened her mouth to call for him, but was forestalled as Sango entered the room.

"Oh! You're awake! Thank goodness," exclaimed Sango, though her expression was torn between relief and apprehension. Kagome wondered what the cause of the latter might be.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a bump," Kagome assured her with a small smile as Sango came over to the bedside. "But what happened? How'd I get here?"

"I wanted to come over and see how you two were doing. When I got there the apartment was trashed and you were unconscious. Inuyasha had already chased off the other guy, so I took you two here." Sango explained.

Kagome nodded. "Where's Inuyasha? Is he alright?"

Sango bit her lip and looked away. Kagome felt the beginnings of fear curl in her stomach.

"Sango, where is Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded more urgently.

Sango slid her eyes back to Kagome's hesitantly and shook her head. "He left, Kagome."

"Left? To where? He can't go out there! Someone from the lab might see him! Was he at least wearing a hat? When is he coming back?" Kagome said in a rush, trying to ignore the voice in the back of her mind that told her Inuyasha's leaving was something much more permanent.

Sango gave her a pained look. "He told me to tell you good-bye, Kagome. I don't think he plans to come back."

"No…no…" whispered Kagome in disbelief, and then, loudly, "No! He can't be out there all alone! He needs my help! We can't just leave him out there!"

She scrambled up from the bed, ignoring Sango's protests, and stumbled out of the room. In the next room she went to the open window and leaned out.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! You get back here, you idiot! Inuyasha!" she called out into the darkness. She called for hours. She called until she had nearly lost her voice. But he didn't answer and he didn't come back. Eventually she slumped down against the wall sobbed herself to sleep, Sango looking on in pained helplessness.

* * *

Inuyasha wasn't sure where he would go or what he would do. All he knew was that he had to get as far away from Kagome as possible. Unfortunately every step he took away from the house where she currently resided was harder than the last. For a while he even thought he heard her calling for him, and it took everything he had not to turn around and run back. But he knew that if he really cared at all about her he would never come near her again.

Eventually he found a park and lay down on a bench when he thought he had gotten far enough away. In those cold hours he spent there he tried very hard not to think at all about her, instead concentrating on his next move.

The best course of action would be to get out of the country. The scientists and the government would have much more trouble finding him on foreign soil. The question was how to get out of the country unseen. An airplane was out of the question, considering all security at airports. A ship then, maybe.

But he would have to be able to board the ship without showing identification, being that he had none. There were always cargo ships importing and exporting. He could sneak on board one of those and no one would be the wiser.

He nodded in affirmation of this plan, resolving to find a cargo dock in the morning. He tried very hard as he drifted off to sleep not to think about the implications of leaving the country. About the girl that he would be leaving behind in Japan. About the girl he would probably never see again. But in the end, he dreamt of her anyway.

* * *

Kagome awoke the next morning feeling miserable and nearly started sobbing again when she remembered why she felt so miserable. Sango offered her breakfast, but she refused. She couldn't imagine ever being hungry again. She kneeled gazing blankly out the window.

She couldn't comprehend why he had left. She had thought they had finally been getting somewhere. He had told her about his past and she had told him about hers. She had thought that meant something, and now she just felt foolish and confused.

She tried for awhile to convince herself that she was fine without him. If he didn't need her then she certainly didn't him. She had done just fine before him and she would do just fine now that he was gone. It didn't matter, really it didn't. In fact, it would be a lot less bothersome now that he was gone. She could finally get back to her nice normal life.

But no matter what she told herself she still felt the same way. She still wanted to be with him, even if it was bothersome and difficult and abnormal. She wanted to be with Inuyasha, and that was all there really was to it.

So she forced herself to get up and get dressed and clean herself up. She went downstairs, prepared to put her head together with Sango and think up some way to find Inuyasha.

She heard a squeak and a thump before entering the kitchen and peeked her head in to see what the cause of it might be. The door leading from the outside into the kitchen was off its hinges, and there was Kouga with Sango pinned up against the wall by her throat.

Kagome rushed in without thinking, grabbing the arm the held Sango and clawing at it in attempt to pull it away from her.

"Let her go! He's not here! She has nothing to do with this!" she shouted, frustrated when he merely gave her annoyed look.

"Feh, stupid bitch. I know inu-korro ain't here, but no doubt he'll be coming back here for his wenches. The stupid mutt is so sentimental he'll go back without a fight if it means saving you two." Kouga replied coldly.

"He's not coming back. He left and he's not coming back." said Kagome quietly. Kouga gave her an incredulous look.

"You're lying. Inu-korro wouldn't abandon his bitch."

"I'm not lying! He left me and he's never coming back!" Kagome yelled, ashamed as the tears began to flow once more.

Kouga's look turned a bit panicky as she began to cry. He dropped Sango, who slid down the wall and landed on her butt with a small 'oomph!' He turned to her and waved his hands frantically.

"Oi, wench! Don't cry! C'mon, stop it! Inu-korro ain't worth that!" he said, desperate to make her stop.

"I'll cry if I want to! And don't you dare talk about Inuyasha!" snapped Kagome, crying harder and finding herself unable to stop. She buried her face in her hands, feeling it was all just too much.

A pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her forward into what was obviously a masculine chest. Kagome tensed up, but all Kouga did was murmur a few soothing words and pat her back. Kagome was sorely tempted to laugh hysterically at the absurdity of the situation, but forced herself not to.

She pushed back after a few minutes and wiped her eyes. "Thanks." she said awkwardly.

"Can't see why inu-korro would be stupid enough to leave such a pretty wench. And you smell good to boot," said Kouga, looking down at her a bit too intently.

"I guess he really just didn't care about me at all," Kagome said quietly, more to herself than him.

"I could take you to him," Kouga offered, and then he looked surprised, as if he hadn't meant to say it.

Kagome looked up at him hopefully. "Really? How?" she asked eagerly.

"I can track him by his scent," said Kouga, her happy expression making it impossible for him to take back the offer.

"You'd really do that for me?" asked Kagome.

"I don't think the scientists are going to be happy with me, but how can I say no to such a pretty face?" said Kouga flirtatiously.

Kagome squealed and launched herself at him, hugging him tightly in her blind joy. "This is great Kouga-kun! You can even come with me and Inuyasha and you won't ever have to work for those awful scientists again!"

Looking down at the girl hugging him so tightly, Kouga, too, thought it would be great.

* * *

He had found the dock, he had found the ship, and he knew it was departing for the U.S. in a matter of minutes. So why was he hesitating? Kagome was the only reason that came to Inuyasha's mind.

_I can't be a selfish bastard now. She doesn't deserve to get dragged down with me. _Inuyasha told himself, willing his feet to move. He crouched down, ready to make his leap through one of the lower port holes into the cargo hold.

"Inuyasha!"

He turned around, certain that he'd heard Kagome calling him, but he saw no one in the darkness of the night. He turned back, convinced he had imagined it, and prepared to jump again.

"Inuyasha!"

He growled at himself, determinedly ignoring the imaginary voice this time. He jumped.

His feet had only just left the ground, however, when something collided with him, sending him and the thing skidding over the concrete ground of the docks.

"What the fuck?" he snarled, pushing the thing off of him. It gave a little squeak of indignation at his rough treatment.

"Ouch, Inuyasha! That hurt!" snapped the person, and Inuyasha realized with a start that it was Kagome.

"Kagome? What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha snapped, torn between joy that she'd bothered to look for him and anger that she had foiled his selfless act.

"I think the real question is what are _you_ doing here? Were you really just going to leave the country without so much as a word to me? After all I've done for you! You're such a…such a…butthead!" Kagome burst out.

"Butthead?" said Inuyasha, unable to keep the grin off his face.

"Yes, a butthead," Kagome confirmed, smiling also at her juvenile choice of words. "But really Inuyasha, why did you leave?"

Inuyasha looked away, smile vanishing. "I had to. I can't stay with you. I don't want to you to get hurt because of me."

"Well, that's horribly selfish of you," Kagome declared. Inuyasha spluttered indignantly.

"_Selfish?_ I did it because I didn't want you to get hurt!"

"Exactly! It was all about what _you_ wanted! You didn't stop for even a second to think about what I might want!"

"And what might that be?" bit out Inuyasha, annoyed by her dismissal of something that had been so hard for him to do.

"I want to be with you, Inuyasha," Kagome said softly, suddenly meek and shy. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he stared at her, that awkward and wonderful warmth filling his chest. He forced it away though, certain she didn't know what she was asking.

"Kagome, you'll be in constant danger if you stay with me. You already know too much, and if one of the scientists' cronies finds you with me they won't hesitate to kill you. It's better if we just part ways now and you forget you ever met me. Go back to having that normal life that you want," Inuyasha said, trying to sound convincing.

"No," said Kagome calmly, and she leaned forward to wrap her arms about him tightly. "I know you need me just as much as I need you. I want to be with you, and you can keep running all you like, but I'm just going to keep following. I don't care about having a normal life anymore. Just so long as I can stay by your side, that's all I really want."

"Kagome," he breathed, amazed at her and her confidence. His arms came up to circle around her in return, wondering how he had ever gotten so lucky as to be with someone like her.

"All right," he said, giving in. There was really nothing else he could do.

She smiled against his chest and nodded. "Glad we got that all worked out."

"Are you two lovebirds finished yet?" snapped an annoyed voice from behind them, and the two quickly sprang apart.

There stood Kouga, arms crossed over his chest and looking thoroughly disgusted.

"What the fuck are you doing here, you mangy wolf?" Inuyasha growled, pushing Kagome protectively behind him.

Kagome laughed nervously, and he turned to look at her over his shoulder. She was scratching the back of her head with a sheepish expression on her face. "Did I forget to mention that Kouga is traveling with us now? Silly me."

* * *

Please review. 


	6. A Time for Farewells

Konnichiwa minna-san! It's Tenchu's Angel here finally! I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this update out, but a combination of a ridiculously busy schedule, writer's block, and wanting the chappie to be good made it take virtually forever. That and, when I went to post it last week, my computer decided to be a real butt hole and stop working on me. I had to spend three hours on the phone with tech support guy who's accent was so heavy I could barely understand him. But anyway, enough about my inconsequential little life, basically I'm just really sorry I took forever to update and I'll try not to let it happen again (no promises, though, because midterms are coming up and things are gonna get crazy). Now on with the story! Please read and review!

* * *

It had taken hours of yelling, name-calling, and even a few traded blows before Inuyasha and Kouga had calmed down enough to hear anything that Kagome was saying. Once they were finally calm she had suggested that they all go back to Sango's house to talk things out. Unfortunately, this had started a whole new argument about who would carry her back.

But eventually that argument too had been solved and they had returned to Sango's house, though it was about three a.m. when they finally arrived. Now they all sat around Sango's kitchen table, Kagome placed carefully between Inuyasha and Kouga and looking about ready to pass out from exhaustion.

"Now, before we start talking about what to do next, you two have to promise to behave," said Sango sternly, addressing Inuyasha and Kouga. "_Someone_ (she gave Kouga a sharp look) has already wrecked my kitchen door by tearing it off its hinge. I don't want you destroying anything else."

"He's the one who starts it!" exclaimed Inuyasha and Kouga almost in unison, pointing accusingly at one another.

Kagome groaned in exasperation, slumping over to rest face down on the table top. Sango looked sympathetically at her fatigued friend.

"Cut it out, you guys. You're wearing poor Kagome out," she chastised them. Inuyasha and Kouga ceased glaring at one another for a moment and turned to look at Kagome. Both looked suddenly guilty at the sight of her weary form slouched over so pathetically.

"Sorry, Kagome," said Kouga quietly, grabbing one of her hands in his own and squeezing it apologetically.

Inuyasha glared at him for a moment, but didn't comment further as he grabbed Kagome's other hand and said, "Me 'n' the wolf'll try to cut it out, okay?"

Kagome lifted her head and gave them both a small, grateful smile, squeezing their hands once before letting them both go. Then she clapped her hands together, looking suddenly decisive and alert.

"Alright, then! Let's get down to it. How long do you think we have before they send someone after you, Kouga-kun?" Kagome asked, turning to face him.

"Two days. Three tops," Kouga replied. "And they'll be coming here first to look for me, being that they know this is where I was headed last to look for dog-breath. More likely than not that they'll send another one of the experiments after me."

"Okay, then it's simple enough. We just won't be here when they get here. We can all go to hotel. Or maybe Miroku will let us stay at his house," said Kagome, looking pleased with how simple it was all turning out to be.

"Uh-uh," Inuyasha said, shaking his head and looking grim. "It would be nice if were all that easy, but it's not. Moving to another house or hotel would be a band-aid solution at best, not permanent. Like the mangy wolf said, they'll be sending more experiments after us, and more likely than not these ones will be even better at tracking. Anywhere in Japan that we go, they'll find us."

Kagome frowned as she considered his words, hmmmming thoughtfully to herself. "Anywhere in Japan, huh?" she muttered quietly to herself before going silent for a few moments.

"Then I think that you had the right idea with the cargo ships, Inuyasha," she resumed. "The experiments are tied to the government, right? And the Japanese government is most powerful in Japan, but if we go to another country then it will be harder for them to get at us. It will be especially hard because they don't want to tell anyone about the experiments they've been doing, considering that they'll be using them in wars against the other countries and that they violate all ethics. So basically, we take a ship to another country and it will be nearly impossible for them to track us." Kagome looked to Inuyasha for his approval. After a moment of consideration he nodded in affirmation of the plan.

Kagome squealed happily, looking like kid on Christmas. "This is so great! I've always wanted to visit the U.S. , and now we can all go together!" she bubbled, practically squirming with excitement.

"I think you've got the wrong idea, Kagome," Sango broke in, sounding serious. "You're treating this like it's going to be some sort of vacation. This is _serious_, Kagome. If you go, you're not going to be able to come back. You'll be leaving everything behind. Hojo, your grandpa, Souta. You'll be giving up _everything_.Are you really willing to do that?"

Kagome's face fell and she deflated, all the excitement leaving her in a rush. Sango felt a pang of guilt at being so harsh with her friend, but steeled herself against it. Kagome was a smart girl, but she had a tendency to be too idealistic. She often took things too lightly and refused to see the reality of her situation. But this was too important for her to take lightly.

"I...I..." Kagome mumbled helplessly, looking small and lost.

"Why don't we all sleep on it, okay?" suggested Sango, taking pity on her friend. She got up and went over to Kagome, helping her stand up and guiding her out of the kitchen with a hand o her back. Kagome didn't react or resist, merely moved forward like one in a trance.

"You two can decide who gets the guest bedroom and who gets the couch, which folds out into a bed. Just don't break anything, okay? Kagome and I will share my room. G'night," Sango called as they walked up the stairs.

They reached Sango's room and both got ready for bed quietly before lying down, back to back, on Sango's king sized bed.

"Kagome?" Sango ventured as they lay there, staring at opposite walls.

"Hmm?" Kagome replied, the most she'd said in the past twenty minutes. It did, however, alleviate Sango's worry that Kagome might be angry with her for her almost brutal words.

"I'm sorry. And...I'm sure everything will be alright," Sango tried to assure her friend, but she didn't sound at all certain.

Kagome was silent, and eventually Sango drifted off to sleep.

* * *

After hours of tossing and turning and slipping in and out of a fitful, tiring sort of sleep, Kagome gave up on the idea of resting altogether. Exhausted as she was, her head was too full of chaotic thoughts to allow her any sleep.

She got up silently, putting on a robe and slippers to ward off the cold. She shuffled out of the bedroom and downstairs into the living room

She paused in the living room, smiling slightly at the peacefully sleeping form of Inuyasha lying on the fold-out couch. She wondered idly for a moment how Kouga had managed to get the guest bedroom, but within seconds the thought was forced out of her head by more pressing matters.

Kagome frowned and decided that she needed some fresh air to clear her head. The house itself seemed oppressive and Inuyasha's presence, once so comforting, now pressed down upon her like a weight. She hurried quietly to the front door went out, careful not to slam it.

She breathed deeply of the crisp early morning air out on Sango's porch, relieved to be out of the house. She walked over to the porch swing and plopped down on it gratefully, watching as the sun climbed slowly into the rosy dawn sky. She closed her eyes, listening to the twitter of birds greeting the morning light and feeling a warm breeze dance lightly over her skin. She reveled in it and the complete emptiness it brought her mind.

But the moment passed, as all moments do, and the worries flooded back into her mind with a vengeance. Could she really leave her entire life behind forever? The little bit left of her family that she loved so dearly, the boyfriend that had been so unwaveringly devoted to her for two years (however dull he might be), the friends that she had known since elementary school, the numerous hours she had spent slaving away as an intern to become a biotechnologist. It would all be gone and she would be forced to start all over again from scratch.

But she had all but promised that she would go with Inuyasha and Kouga. They hadn't been with 'normal' people in years and would need her help to blend back into society. They needed her to help them keep from being caught and tortured again. And Inuyasha-oh, Inuyasha-the thought of being separated from him again tore at her heart. Had she really just gotten him back only to watch him leave? Kagome curled in on herself as her heart constricted painfully at the thought.

_It shouldn't be this hard, _Kagome though miserably, tears beginning to flow down her face.

"Kagome?"came a tentative voice from her right, and Kagome felt the swing move a bit as someone sat down beside her.

Kagome wiped her tears away hurriedly, embarrassed at having been caught. She turned to see Inuyasha next to her, looking concerned.

She looked away from him quickly so that he wouldn't see how puffy her eyes were from crying. "Inuyasha...I thought you were asleep," Kagome said, trying to sound casual and cursing the way her voice wavered.

"I was until you stomped downstairs like a herd of elephants. Then you went outside and I thought you might want to be alone, but...are you okay, Kagome?" Inuyasha said, his tone unusually gentle.

"Of course I'm okay. Why do you ask?" Kagome lied, still refusing to face him.

"Kagome, look at me," Inuyasha ordered. Kagome shook her head.

"Kagome..."

"No!" Kagome squeaked, her voice cracking as the tears welled up again

Inuyasha was silent for a few moments, and then Kagome felt his arms wrap around her shoulders. He guided her around to face him, pressing her gently into the warmth of his chest. Kagome clutched at his shirt, a sob welling in her throat that she was unable to hold back. Finally she gave in, crying helplessly into the front of his shirt. Inuyasha merely held her quietly, stroking her hair every now and again and letting her get it all out.

After a few minutes the sobs quieted to sniffles and then died down to the occasional hiccup. Kagome pulled back from Inuyasha a bit, her cheeks flushed from crying and slight embarrassment at her breakdown. "I'm sorry. I got your shirt all wet," she said lamely, staring at the dark spot her tears had left on his red shirt to avoid having to look him in the eye.

"Don't worry. You bought this for me, so technically you got your shirt wet," Inuyasha said lightly, hoping to keep her from feeling awkward about her outburst. She chuckled slightly and smiled, aware of his efforts and grateful for them.

"Thanks, Inuyasha. And...sorry for having a meltdown on you," Kagome said sheepishly.

Inuyasha was silent, looking at her consideringly. He seemed to be debating about something in his head, if the conflict on his face was any indication. After a few moments he forced himself to say, very quietly, "You don't have to go with us, Kagome."

Kagome drew back from him a bit, stung. "You don't want me to come with you?" she asked, unable to keep the hurt from her voice.

"Of course I want you to come, you idiot!" Inuyasha said with a vehemence that surprised Kagome. He looked away from her, fists clenched and a fierce, pained look on his face.

"But...you-you have a family here that you love and a life here that you've spent years building. I don't want you to be forced to give all that up just because you think you owe me'n' the damn wolf something. God knows you've already done way more for us than anyone else would have. I want...I want you to be happy, Kagome. You deserve to be happy."

Kagome gazed at Inuyasha in awe, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. A warmth so strong she thought her heart might burst from it filled her chest. Never had anyone been so selflessly considerate of her. He wanted her with him, but he was willing to let her go if it meant that she would be happy.

She leaned forward, wrapping her arms about his tense form and pressing her face into his shoulder. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I think I know what I'm going to do now."

Inuyasha hugged her back, holding her tightly enough that he might memorize the feel of her for the lonely years to come. "I understand," Inuyasha said, and he really was trying to. "I'll...I'll miss you." He inhaled deeply, determined to hold in that scent and keep it with him forever. Sakura blossoms and something deeply sweet and distinctly Kagome.

"No, you won't," Kagome said with certainty, burying her face affectionately in the crook of his neck and shoulder and reveling in the odd foresty scent that was uniquely him. Inuyasha could hear the smile in her voice and felt a pleasant shudder go through him at her warm breath on his neck.

"What do you mean? Of course I'll miss you, stupid girl," Inuyasha said gruffly, though the raspy quality of his voice undermined it a bit.

Kagome giggled a bit. "No, you won't. I'm going with you. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I want to stay with you."

Inuyasha's eyes went wide with surprise and he tensed up. Excitement rose sharply within him, but he forced it down brutally. She couldn't possibly mean it.

"Kagome...your family...your _life_,"Inuyasha stuttered, trying to make her understand despite how much he wanted her with him.

"I know, Inuyasha. I've thought about this and I know what I'm giving up. My family will understand if I explain it to them. And my life...well, it's not like I can't start a new one. It might be difficult, but it'll be like an adventure. I just- I really want to help you and Kouga-kun. So it's okay."

"Kagome...Kagome!" Inuyasha whispered raggedly, clutching her to him tightly and feeling the warmth in his chest so powerfully that it was hard for him to breathe. He wondered how he could ever have even thought that he could live without Kagome.

"Inuyasha?" said Kagome after a few minutes of warm silence.

"Hmmm?"

"Will you come with me to explain to my family tomorrow? I'm really gonna need some support when I say good-bye."

"Sure." _Anything for you, Kagome.

* * *

_

A few hours and one fight between Inuyasha and Kouga later (Kouga had found Inuyasha and Kagome curled up together and sleeping on the porch swing), Kagome and Inuyasha got on a train and headed out to Hokkaido where her family's shrine was located.

Now they climbed the numerous steps up to the shrine, Kagome lagging a bit and dreading what she was about to do now that she was actually faced with it.

Inuyasha seemed to sense it and reached over to grasp her hand reassuringly, a light blush on his face at the gesture. Kagome was momentarily distracted from her worry by amusement at how shy Inuyasha still was at such a small gesture when they had already "slept together" twice.

Before she knew it they were at the top of the steps and there was her jii-chan, sweeping the walkway in his priest robes. Kagome felt a pang of sorrow, sharp and swift, as a hundred different memories of the childhood she was leaving behind assaulted her at the simple picture. But Inuyasha squeezed her hand once more, bringing her out of it and prompting her to move forward again.

Jii-chan looked up and squinted uncertainly at her for a moment before his face, old and lined with the many years of his life, lit up with recognition.

"Kagome-chan!" he exclaimed delightedly, and Kagome found herself letting go of Inuyasha and rushing forward into her jii-chan's open arms like a small child.

"It's been so long, Kagome-chan! What brings you out here? Shouldn't you be at the biotech lab?" Jii-chan asked, embracing her with all of the tender affection he felt for the little girl he had raised and loved so well.

"I need to talk to you and Souta,"Kagome said, trying not to sound too grim.

"And who is this you've brought with you?" Jii-chan asked, peering over her shoulder at Inuyasha. "Your boyfriend? I thought you were still dating that Hoko boy."

"It's Hojo, jii-chan. And this is Inuyasha, a friend of mine," Kagome explained.

"Um- nice to meet you," Inuyasha said awkwardly, attempting to be polite.

Jii-chan smiled and led both of them into the house, chattering about this and that and asking Kagome how she had been.

In the kitchen Souta sat hunched over a pile of books at the table. He looked up as they entered, his face lighting up at the sight of his big sister. In that moment he looked so much like the little boy of her memories that Kagome thought she might cry.

"Nee-chan!" he exclaimed, jumping up and rushing to embrace her. The fact that he was now nearly a foot taller than her simultaneously brought her out of her nostalgia and made her heart ache at the thought of all the growing he still had to do that she would not be around for.

"It's been forever! I think you've shrunk since I last saw you!"

"I haven't shrunk, you've just kept growing like the weed-boy you are!" Kagome returned affectionately, returning her brother's hug and then taking a seat at the table. Jii-chan and Souta followed her example, but Inuyasha merely stood behind her chair like a body guard.

"What'd you come here for, nee-chan?" Souta asked.

"What, I'm not welcome in my own home anymore? That hurts, Souta, that really hurts," Kagome said with her hand over her heart in mock anguish, trying to lighten the mood before she dropped the bomb on them.

"Cut the bull, nee-chan. What do you want?"Souta returned with a small smile.

Kagome tried to think of a way to stall for awhile before she actually had to say it, to delay it for just a bit longer, but her jii-chan wrecked the effort by saying, "Wasn't there something you needed to tell us, Kagome-chan?"

"Yes," Kagome forced out, and then, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, "I'll be leaving tomorrow to go to the U.S. with Inuyasha here and another boy named Kouga...and I won't be coming back."

Silence, thick and tense and stunned, descended on the room following her announcement. Kagome held her breath, waiting tensely for some kind of reaction.

"_What?_ _Why?"_ asked Souta in a sort of breathless, strangled voice, his tone disbelieving.

"I...I can't say."

"What do you mean you can't say, young lady?" Jii-chan put in sternly.

"I don't want you two to get involved, and if I tell you anything you will be." Kagome looked steadfastly down at her tightly clasped hands, watching the knuckles turned white. Inuyasha's hand came to rest on her shoulder and she felt a rush of gratitude towards him.

"Are...are you in some sort of trouble with the law, Kagome-chan?" Jii-chan asked, horror written all over his face.

"Of course not! How could you even think that, jii-chan?" Kagome said indignantly, hurt at how quick he was to think badly of her.

"Yeah, jiji! Kagome ain't like that!" Inuyasha defended her, and Kagome felt another surge of gratitude and affection toward him.

"Don't you dare tell me about _my_ granddaughter! I know her better than you ever will! In fact, you're probably the one making my granddaughter do this! It's your fault!" Jii-chan snarled, standing up to face Inuyasha and waving the broom he still held threateningly.

"Is this guy forcing you to go with him, nee-chan?" Souta asked, standing also and glaring murderously at Inuyasha.

"No! Both of you just sit down and listen to me!" Kagome commanded, slamming both hands down on the table to get their attention.

Jii-chan and Souta continued to scowl menacingly at Inuyasha for a moment, Inuyasha glaring right back at them, before they grudgingly sat down.

"Now, Inuyasha is a part of the reason I'm leaving, but he's not forcing me. I'm choosing to leave because I want to," Kagome explained.

"You...you want to leave us, Kagome?" Souta asked, refusing to look her in the eye and looking very much like a little boy once more.

"No...No, Souta," Kagome crooned, standing and moving to wrap her arms around her brother's shoulders. "I don't want to leave _you_. I love you. You're my most favorite brother in the whole world, remember?"

"I'm your only brother," Souta muttered, playing along with her little reference to one of their many childhood memories together.

"But you don't need me anymore. Inuyasha and Kouga-kun are going to need me," Kagome said gently , stroking his bangs back from his forehead.

"But I do need you, nee-chan," Souta said quietly. He turned around in his chair and buried his face in her stomach. Kagome could feel him shaking slightly, probably trying hard not to cry.

"No, Souta, you don't. Not anymore. Whatever I might have said to the contrary, you're all grown up now. And you've grown up so well. You're kind and smart and considerate and I couldn't be any more proud of you. I love you Souta-chan, but you don't need me anymore," Kagome said earnestly, trying to hold back tears of her own.

Souta whimpered slightly, clutching at her more tightly. "I'll miss you, nee-chan."

"I'll miss you, too, Souta-chan," Kagome said, her voice quavering. She bent down and placed a kiss on his temple tenderly, her heart aching with pride and longing for the boy that she had practically raised.

When she looked up she found her jii-chan staring at her with a hard expression etched on his face. She steeled herself, preparing for whatever argument he might throw at her.

"This is something you have to do?" Jii-chan asked seriously, throwing her off balance.

"Y-yes, this is something I have to do," Kagome replied after a moment of surprise, putting all the conviction that she could muster behind her words.

Jii-chan studied her face for a few long moments. Then the hardness went out of his expression and he sagged a bit, looking tired.

"If you're sure it's what you need to do, then I won't stop you. Even though I don't like all this secrecy, I trust your judgment."

Kagome stared at her jii-chan, touched at the level of faith he had in her. Gently she released Souta, who hastily wiped at his eyes to clear the tears from them. She went over jii-chan and hugged him tightly. He returned the embrace immediately, his arms coming up to hold her tightly. For a moment she was once again a small child being cradled by her jii-chan after a long, hard day. It was comforting and painful all at the same time.

"You've grown up beautifully, Kagome-chan. I love you and I trust you to do what's right," Jii-chan whispered in her ear.

"Thank you, jii-chan. I love you. And don't worry, I'll be fine. If I can I'll even try to write to you both."

Jii-chan released her and turned to Inuyasha, his face stern once more. "I'm trusting you to take good care of my granddaughter. If I hear that anything has happened to her..." he trailed of darkly, leaving Inuyasha to fill in the blank.

"You don't gotta tell me, jiji. Either way I'm gonna take care of Kagome, no matter what it takes," Inuyasha said with fierce protectiveness in his voice. Jii-chan and Souta smiled approvingly, and they had all reached an agreement.

* * *

A few hours later Kagome and Inuyasha left the shrine. They had stayed for dinner and made small talk with Kagome's family, everyone avoiding the subject of her leaving despite that none of them could think of anything else. Kagome had packed the few things that she kept there, trying to absorb as much of her jii-chan and Souta's presences as she could so that she might keep them with her in the years to come. Somehow she had managed to avoid breaking down even as they all said their final goodbyes.

But now on the train back to Sango's house the tears poured silently down her face as she stared steadfastly out the window, vision blurred.

"You can still change your mind," Inuyasha offered quietly from beside her, taking one of her hands comfortingly in his own.

Kagome shook her head. "No," she choked out through the tears. "No. I've made my decision. But Inuyasha...tell me that it's going to be alright. Even if it's a lie. I need to hear it. Just once."

"It's going to be alright, Kagome," Inuyasha assured, determined to make the words true for her. "It'll be okay."

* * *

Well, I hope it didn't suck too much. Please review and let me know what ya think. Love and hugs to all my dear readers. 


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